1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display device, and more particularly, to a plasma display device including a foreign material blocking member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plasma display devices are flat display devices that display an image using a gas discharge phenomenon. Plasma display devices may provide large screens with a number of desirable traits, e.g., a high-quality image display, a very thin and light design, and a wide-range viewing angle. In addition, these displays may be manufactured in a simplified manner, when compared with other flat display panels. Accordingly, plasma display devices have attracted considerable attention as the most promising next-generation flat display devices.
Such plasma display devices include a plasma display panel (PDP) that displays an image by exciting a phosphor material with ultraviolet rays generated during gas discharge. PDPs may be classified into types according to the discharge voltage applied to the discharge cells, e.g., a direct current (DC) type, an alternating current (AC) type, and a hybrid type. PDPs may also be classified into a facing discharge type and a surface discharge type according to the type of discharge structure used.
Facing discharge PDPs have a problem in that their life spans may be reduced due to a degradation of a phosphor material caused by ions generated during discharge. On the other hand, surface discharge PDPs minimize the degradation of a phosphor material by collecting discharge on a side opposite to a side on which the phosphor material is formed, whereby the problems of the structure of facing discharge PDPs may be minimized. Hence, surface discharge PDPs are widely used at present.
Plasma display devices may include a PDP which displays an image, a chassis that supports the PDP, and a number of circuit units that process electrical signals used to drive the PDP. A signal transmission member, e.g., a tape carrier package (TCP) or a flexible flat cable (FFC), may connect the circuit units to each other or may connect each of the circuit units to input electrodes on the PDP to drive the display.
One end of the signal transmission member may be connected to a circuit unit by a connector which may be a coupling member. The connector may be mounted on a circuit board together with other circuit elements during mass-production of the circuit units. However, the connector may include conductive metal pins that electrically contact the pins of the signal transmission member. The pins of the connector may be partially exposed even after the connector is installed in a circuit unit. When an external foreign substance contacts the exposed pins, an electrical signal being transmitted by the signal transmission member may be mixed with noise, leading to erroneous image displays.
To prevent this problem, in the conventional art, the exposed pins may be covered with silicone after a connector is mounted on a circuit unit.
However, this process increases the production lead time of a circuit unit by the amount of time required to dry the silicone, and there may be difficulty in controlling the amount of silicone to be used. Hence, the silicone may intrude up to the connector's actuator. The actuator may be rotated to couple the signal transmission member to the connector. The silicone may compromise the connection between the connector and the signal transmission member.
In addition, when the pins of an assembled connector may become short-circuited, the silicone coating may need to be reapplied. However, once silicone is applied, it may be very difficult to completely remove the silicone. Efforts to remove the silicone may increase the probability of secondary damage, e.g., destruction of a printed circuit board (PCB).
Further, the actuator of the conventional plasma display device may be opened excessively, which may damage the connector.